A high-quality grill is the key to a successful barbecue. The material of construction directly determines how evenly the meat will be fried, how long the coals will smolder, and how the smoke will be distributed. Choosing the right metal will help the device last for many years. Unsuitable material, on the contrary, will lead to rapid corrosion, can spoil the taste of food and lead to poisoning. That is why when buying or making a barbecue with your own hands, you should take this issue responsibly.
What material should it be made of?
Leonid Bykov (hereinafter L.B.): Cast iron would be a good choice . Why?
- Thick walls retain heat well.
- Such a grill will not “work” with repeated use, which cannot be said about one made from sheets of 0.5-1.5 mm.
- You can not only burn coals in it, but also cook them by burning wood. Thinner walls will not withstand the high temperature during combustion and will lose their shape immediately.
- Material available.
However, the structure will be quite heavy and, as a rule, non-removable. Therefore, going on a picnic with such a barbecue is a serious problem. Another disadvantage is the tendency to rust (corrosion). Coating with heat-resistant enamel will help cope with it. In addition, making such a structure yourself is quite difficult.
An almost similar product can be made from thick (the same 4-5 mm) sheet steel . It is slightly inferior in thermal properties, but it is easier to work with. A long service life will be achieved by coating with the same heat-resistant enamel.
If we talk about portable and portable structures, thin (1 mm) stainless or galvanized steel . True, you cannot burn wood in such a brazier, and it is designed for a short service life. It is unlikely that such a grill can be considered ideal.
Mobility
First of all, you need to decide in what conditions you are going to cook on coals. Will it be a solid structure for a summer house or a country house, the location of which is strictly defined? Or do you need a mobile product for regular outings? In terms of mobility, all barbecues can be divided into three main types:
- Collapsible grill . For transportation it requires constant assembly and disassembly from scratch. Compact, lightweight, usually inexpensive and varied in design. Suitable for occasional trips into nature, but short-lived and does not hold heat well.
- Folding grill . The main elements of the box are connected into a non-separable, but compactly folding structure. The layout of such braziers is very diverse, but more often the coal box, consisting of plates with movable joints, is transformed into a small suitcase. A good option for frequent trips into nature with a car, they “unfold” quickly, are more durable and reliable than collapsible products. It costs noticeably more, but still does not hold heat well.
- Stationary grill . Completely integral, welded, non-separable structure made of thick-walled metal. Heavy, durable, heat-intensive. It is purchased for many years of use in “home” conditions. Stationary barbecues are usually more thoughtful, multi-functional and generally better suited for cooking. Their prices are higher and there is practically no mobility, but this is not required of them. Moreover, there are semi-stationary products with a pair of wheels for convenient movement around the site.
What are the ideal sizes?
L.B.: The optimal option is 350x600 mm. With this width, any standard skewers can easily be placed, and the length allows you to cook 7-8 servings at the same time (the distance between the skewers is about 70mm).
The main question when choosing sizes that worries barbecue lovers is the depth of the roaster .
Brazier size 350x700 mm
Depth of the roasting pan - 20 cm
Khayyam Agaverdiev has been cooking meat on coals for many years. He says the ideal distance from the coals to the meat is 8 cm, and from the skewers 10 cm.
I believe that the depth of the structure should not exceed 15-18 cm . The first option is suitable for structures that retain heat well and allow you to make excellent barbecue with a layer of coals of only 5 cm. The second is good for thin-walled barbecues, where more coals will be required to create the desired temperature.
How to make a barbecue with your own hands
Making a good-quality barbecue on your own is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. All you need is to become familiar with production technology and have basic skills in working with metal.
The variety of shapes and designs of barbecues is amazing. From simple ones to entire works of art. Thanks to forging, even the simplest designs acquire an elegant appearance. With him, any vacation will become special. When you relax and enjoy nature in pleasant company, you can’t do without barbecue.
Drawings with dimensions
What design elements are required?
L.B.: For a barbecue to be considered correct, several nuances must be taken into account.
An ideal fryer should not be hollow, otherwise you can forget about uniform temperature distribution and well-cooked kebab. The best option is a grate , with slots or a grate at the bottom of the roasting pan.
Brazier with grate
The slots or holes will provide:
- A uniform flow of oxygen into the coal mass, which will support their combustion and create uniform heating over the entire area. Moreover, an excellent result will be obtained regardless of weather conditions (for example, wind), which seriously complicate cooking in barbecues with perforated walls.
- Removing ash through grate openings. The only thing you need to provide is a box for collecting it.
- Easy temperature control. A metal flap covering part of the slots or grate will allow you to achieve optimal cooking conditions.
Technical specifications
It is important to pay attention to the design characteristics:
- material;
- general dimensions;
- bottom shape;
- number of holes for air flow;
- the presence of a lid, holes for skewers;
- wall thickness.
The capabilities of the barbecue and the features of its use depend on the technical characteristics.
Brazier with lid (Photo: Instagram / kovka_and_metall_krd)
FAQ
Still, which is better: cast iron or regular iron?
The fact is that cast iron is difficult to process (cutting, welding), but at the same time it has better thermal properties. If you buy a ready-made grill and are not going to drag it from place to place, then cast iron is the best option. In other cases, use regular iron sheets.
I just don’t understand what the dimensions of an ideal barbecue are?
There are no ideal sizes as such. You look at how much food you want to cook at a time (length depends on this), look at the length of your skewers or grates (width depends on this). And build a grill. Perhaps the height from the bottom of the grill to the skewers remains constant - on average about 18 cm. Watch the video below, it is explained in detail.
Is it possible to make a grill yourself without welding?
Yes, there are such designs. For example, you can make a collapsible grill where you don’t need to cook. You can take models from the store as an example - they are most often collapsible.
Accessories
Often barbecues come with individual accessories or entire sets of them. Some should be purchased immediately, others are better purchased separately.
- Skewers . It’s great if they come complete with a barbecue. Firstly, you don’t have to buy them separately, and secondly, the number and size of the “native” skewers should definitely match the parameters of the selected fryer. Obviously, cheap barbecues are equipped with cheap skewers made of thin steel. In this case, it is better to refuse additional equipment and order skewers separately - those with a rectangular cross-section and made of stainless steel will be just right.
- Grill grate . By analogy with skewers, the “original” grill is already adjusted to the dimensions of the grill. Meanwhile, this is a very functional accessory that actually turns the grill into a barbecue grill. However, choosing such a grille separately will not be a problem, so there is no need to focus on this.
- Skewer . A useful accessory that allows you to grill large pieces of meat or whole animal carcasses. Roasters from the premium segment are equipped with an electric spit - a convenient, but not cheap, addition. Equipping a barbecue with a spit yourself will not be easy, so immediately think about its necessity and draw the appropriate conclusions.
- Other . A fan, a poker, a dustpan, tongs, all kinds of spatulas and forks, cleaning tools - all this is needed, it increases the comfort of cooking and operating the barbecue, but it is secondary and not as important as the barbecue itself.
Let's sum it up
Thus, it is better to make a “correct” brazier from cast iron or, in extreme cases, steel with a thickness of 4-5 mm (but not less than 2 mm). Its width should correspond to the size of the skewers, and its length should correspond to the optimal number of servings per cooking time (fryer size 350-400 x 600-800 mm).
The depth should vary between 15-20 cm, which will allow the meat to be perfectly cooked. It is better to make a brazier with a grate with a metal adjustable damper, equip the structure with a lid, legs up to 1 m high and a box for collecting ash.
Is metal processing necessary?
It is better to additionally protect a steel grill from corrosion, then it will last even longer than usual. For this purpose, you can use powder enamels and paints with heat-resistant properties. The first coating you come across will not work - burnt paint will ruin the kebab and lead to poisoning with toxic secretions.
Special compounds can withstand heat above 600°C. They look beautiful and enhance the appearance of the structure. Heat-resistant paint in aerosols can be purchased at specialized and automotive stores. They do not emit harmful substances, but silicone paints also protect against rust, plaque, accumulation of soot and ash. Some of their varieties require baking, which may be indicated in the instructions.
In the factory, the metal structure is further strengthened by bluing and oxidation. The surface is cleaned, degreased, and a black heat-resistant film is applied on top. The steel is kept in a sodium solution at 140 °C or in water vapor with oxygen. Electrochemical processing is also possible. It is very difficult to carry out these processes on your own, but if there is an opportunity, it is better to take advantage of it. Compositions for such procedures are often sold at gun stores.
IMPORTANT. Painting is carried out only on the outside.
Making or purchasing a high-quality barbecue requires certain knowledge, time and effort. You should not neglect the characteristics of the metal if you plan to use it for a long time. Bad steel can harm your health and inevitably lead to unnecessary expenses and the purchase of a new device.
Source of the article: https://villadacha.ru/barbecue/metall-dlya-mangala.html
